After successfully winning the competition in the Constitution Debate of 2015, today the Faculty of Shari'ah and Law of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta is hosting the event. The event is taking a place at the Convention Hall, UIN Sunan Kalijaga and held from August 1 to 3, 2017. Prior to the debate competition, a national seminar was held with the theme "Democracy and the Dynamics of Constitutional Law in Indonesia" by presenting experts in the field as speakers. They are: Vice Chairman of the Constitutional Court Dr. Anwar Usman, SH., MH., Lecturer of Sharia Faculty and Law of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta who is also Chairman of OIC, Dr. Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin, MA., Professor of Islamic Law, Prof. Dr. Ratno Lukito, MA., Ph.D., and Professor of Law Faculty of UII, Prof. Dr. Ir. Dr. Nikmatul Huda, SH., MH. The national seminar was opened by the Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Drs. K.H. Yudian Wahyudi, M.A., Ph.D.

In his opening speech, Prof. Yudian Wahyudi conveyed that the aim of establishing Laws Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga in 2009, was due to the importance of attaching Sharia to the Constitution. Prof. Yudian wish to bring the potentials of pesantren to take part, become the seeds of excellence in the realm of state law, government and society in general. Now in the development of Law Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Yudian intends to produce numbers of lawyers and constitution experts that can convince all layers of the society that NKRI and Pancasila is most appropriate way to make Indonesia as a State which is Baldatun Thoyibatun-Warrobun-Ghofur (A prosperous and blessed country).

According to Yudian Wahyudi, in the Qur'an there is no one single verse mentioning about the khilafah as a condition of the state. "Khilafah is an oversight" he said. “But the verses do call the Caliph. It can be translated as the designation of an expert, who because of his skill can win a match to form a state and defend it from every riot and colonialism. The Founding Father who has fought for the independence of Indonesia and set the UUD'54 and Pancasila as the constitution and basic principle of Indonesia can be called as Khalifah in this country. At the age of 72 years of its independence, Indonesia still needs the caliphs (experts of all fields) to continue to defend and build NKRI for all people’s welfare.”

"It is an honor, that the 3rd National Constitutional Debate Competition is held at UIN Sunan Kalijaga. Through such forums it becomes a whip of Islamic Higher Learning Institutions to produce qualified legal experts and Islamic thought experts, who will devote Rahmat Lil Alamin to Islam in the framework of the Unitary State of Indonesia and Pancasila" Prof. Yudian said.

General Secretary of the Constitutional Court, Muhammad Guntur Hamzah in his report explained that the 3rd constitutional debate today is followed by all universities in Indonesia. The organization is divided into 3 regional areas (West, Central and East). From each 3 regional areas will be taken 3 champions who will compete in Cisarua Bogor. According to Guntur, cooperation forums with universities like this is important to build the character of the nation. In addition, the Constitutional Court's programs are not only solve the cases downstream, but need to approach upstream to the community, as the spirit of understanding Pancasila and the Constitution. This event is an effort to build networking and friendship with universities and as strategic efforts to create constitutional judges through networking.

Vice Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Dr. Anwar Usman, SH., MH., added that the task of the Constitutional Court is to guard and ground the constitution. Constitution debate competition became one of the arena to ground the constitution, and this event is very much awaited by all universities in Indonesia. He hopes that through this competition it would encourage tradition and scientific culture, to train students to present polite thought and to explore the original-critical thinking among students. In addition, the Constitutional Court wants to inflame the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila as a living constitution, which is applied in the life of the state and society, with its driving force is all students in Indonesia, not just keep it as a ceremonial document. He points out that what is contained in the constitution as well as the basis of Pancasila are illuminated by the spirit of universal values of religion, which should be understood by all law enforcers and Indonesian people as piety. In the final of the national constitution debate later on, Constitutional Court provides trophies, awards and coaching money for the champions. It is 15 milion rupiahs for the First winner, 12 Milion rupiahs for second winner, and 9 milllion rupiahs for the third winner.